Character in Coriolanus
Aufidius ♂ male
275Lines Spoken
1.2First Scene
5.6Last Scene
7.3%Of Play Dialogue
Aufidius is the #6 largest role in Coriolanus, speaking 275 lines (7.3% of the play) across 8 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Aufidius shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Aufidius’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coriolanus | 680 | 18.1% |
| 2 | Menenius | 589 | 15.7% |
| 3 | Volumnia | 314 | 8.3% |
| 4 | Sicinius | 305 | 8.1% |
| 5 | Cominius | 286 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Aufidius (this role) | 275 | 7.3% |
| 7 | Brutus | 247 | 6.6% |
| 8 | Marcius | 218 | 5.8% |
| 9 | First Senator | 90 | 2.4% |
| 10 | First Citizen | 79 | 2.1% |
How Aufidius’s dialogue distributes across the play
Aufidius’s dramatic peak falls in Act 4 with 104 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 2): “What ever have been thought on in this state,”
Representative speech (Act 4, Scene 7): “Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail.”
Who Aufidius shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Coriolanus | 4 |
| First Senator | 2 |
| All | 2 |
| Second Senator | 2 |
| Lieutenant | 1 |
| All The People | 1 |
| Third Lord | 1 |
| Marcius | 1 |
| First Conspirator | 1 |
| Virgilia | 1 |
Questions about Aufidius
Is Aufidius the lead role in Coriolanus?
Aufidius is ranked #6 by line count among 61 speaking characters in Coriolanus — a major role carrying 7.3% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Aufidius’s longest scene?
Act 5 Scene 6, where Aufidius speaks 87 lines.
Who does Aufidius speak to the most?
Aufidius shares the most scenes with Coriolanus — 4 scenes together across Coriolanus.